Art, Craft and Needlework, October 2008

[Harriet]

The whole difference between construction and creation is exactly this:
that a thing constructed can only be loved after it is constructed;
but a thing created is loved before it exists. - Charles Dickens

Boy, Dickens had that right. We pour love into our projects, even early on, when no one else could figure out what the created thing is going to become!

I think about my love for the person who will use it. I think about my love of creativity and the fun of it in general. I think about my "love" of the pattern or fabric and the serendipity that a certain color scheme works out surprisingly in a certain pattern. And eventually, I look at my completed project, and I just love it!

What love are you pouring into your creativity lately?

[Harriet]

Lately I've been putting love into the piecing of a simple quilt top for dsonil. He wants a reproduction of the type of quilt that would have been sent with a soldier during the War Between the States. He can take it on reinactments and feel authentic (and hopefully comforted) while he sleeps! I had some fabrics that would work well, either homespuns, solids or repro-looks, and bought 5 repro fat quarters just for the project, so spent about 8 dollars (most of that fabric went into my stash anyway).

I looked at patterns that were made back then, but after listening to him about how plainly soldier's utility quilts would have been made, I decided to sew only 4-inch squares. So I cut four-and-a-half inch strips from about 23 different fabrics and made up the rest from scraps. I cut those in half at about 22 inches, mixed them all up (FUN) and assembly-pieced light-to-dark together. Each one of those strips gave me 4 sets of light/dark squares, and then sewing those two-by-two gave me 48 blocks of 4 squares each. I sewed those with only enough planning to keep same-fabric squares from touching. TaDa. All it needs now is a border.

That is really fun sewing. Usually the soldiers' quilts were just tied, not quilted. Dd10 says she'll help me with home tying if I want to. We'll see.

[Nancy]

Today I made up some helmet bags have been in the sewing room today.
Sewed up a flannel night gown with a fun sheep print.
Last night I got a fleece blanket fringed for dgson's holiday gift done.

I've been knitting this week and have made progress on the current prayer shawl
I'm working on the cooler temps. are great for these craft and sewing projects.

I'm so glad I got to the sewing room last month and cleared off the work space
that always helps when the creative juices are flowing!

[SuzLew]

Need to hem dgs/8 cub scout pants today. Then want to cut more on my Tennessee waltz quilt.Want to start sewing together. HARRIET: Can you tell me gist (mmeasured pieces of heart quilt again?? Bought fabriic now can't find my notes and that computer crashed!

[Harriet]

Each of the hearts is made from print squares - two become tops of the hearts and two become bottoms. To make one of the bottom parts of the heart, you layer it right sides together with the same size square of your background fabric, sew on the diagonal, open and press, and cut away the excess. To make one of the top parts, you cut 2 smaller squares of background fabric. You layer one of those right sides together aligning one corner of a heart piece and again, sew across the little square's diagonal, open, press and cut away. Then do the same at the other corner of the same heart piece to make half of the heart's top.

I believe the formula for measuring was that if you use four-inch print squares, you need one-and-one-quarter-inch background squares for the heart tops. If you use four-and-one-half-inch squares, you need one-and-one-half-inch squares of background fabric for the heart tops. (- I'm sorry this is not as fresh in my mind as it was in June! And we don't have that old thread to go back to, but I think that's right.)

But you could use different size squares, or you could experiment with the look of the top of the heart - see how it would look with larger or smaller background squares to make the top shape of the heart.

I made sashing and cornerstones that were a little smaller.

This is the way the quilt turned out with quilting in the Baptist Fan Pattern.

[SuzLew]

Thanks Harriet . I bought reoroduction fabric for hearts in childrens prints and a pink border for a girl and blue for a boy border! can't wait to get cut out and finish cutting my Tennessee Waltz quilt which was the 54-40 or fight square you showed. I am using small floral prints and sweetpea lavendar print for in quilt and back.

[Harriet]

SuzLew mentioned in PWYC that she will be taking handmade ornaments to Farmer's Market. Since our climate is not as pleasant year-round as yours, SuzLew, the FMs are pretty much over before November. My second cousin is still a truck farmer who goes to the Farmer's Market, the last family member I know of who is still doing that. I have always had a ~~~ dream ~~~ of accompanying relatives to FMs and selling homemade items like our mutual great aunt used to do. She took bonnets. Her displays of bonnets in gingham and calico, hung on clothesline with wooden clothespins, would call attention to my uncle's produce underneath even when he didn't have much to sell. When I used to do stories on the FMs for the regional paper, I remember other ladies took finger potholders - sometimes called microwave potholders? - and I saw aprons one time, lots of candles and homemade soaps.

Nancy, helmet bags like for motocycle/bike helmets? That would be a fun idea. Yep, we've gotta stay relatively clear-spaced for the times those creative juices flow. I hate it when I get excited about a project and don't realize in time that I've spread out "audition" fabrics for it right overtop of the various fabrics for a previous project!!! (Oh yes, that happens.)

Meant to mention that the quilt donation site Wrap Them In Love Foundation has begun posting their 2008 donations photos, and so far have about 15 pages up - probably about 500 pictures. They are the only donation site I know of that posts a photograph of every single donation they receive. This is always a heart-warming browse-through to give an idea of what's being donated to charity out there lately, plus it gives a lot of ideas for quick or simple quilts, too.

[SuzLew]

I will try this again! totally posted then lost it! I am working on xstitch face doll that I originally saw in Crossstitch and country magazine ar/Apr of '87..At the time they printed face pattern but no doll pattern. In Mar/Apr '88 printed boy doll pattern with body pattern so using that body and bought on ebay Victorian doll clothes pattern and doll wig. Now just need shoes. Also went to xstitch store and found some beautiful pink fabric for face that was in sale basket. Was originally 34.00 and lady sold it to me for 5.00. It will be perfect! Want to get started stitching it!!

Also finishhing up ceramic teddy bear doll for DD/30. All it needs is dress partly finished!! Ceramic part of bear is all finished!! Each daughter collects dolls and teddy bears so think it will make great Christmas gift and heirloom that their mom made for them.

Have to tell you when I bought Dgrs/8 hhis cub scout uniform and I was asking where patches go etc. Dgrs/8 told the sales lady I was an "expert" sewer and DD/36 piped in well maybe not annd expert ( she is always so negative towards me! ) and I said I have made prom and wedding dresses so II am an expert!. My 4-H teacher sure taught me to be!!( with all the ripping out if it wasn't perfect! )